


We Have Never Been Just Friends

by SummerRaine14



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Just Friends, Marriage, Multi, but not really, engagements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-02-23 09:25:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13187166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerRaine14/pseuds/SummerRaine14
Summary: Robert helped Aaron through one of the most difficult stages in his life, facing his childhood, and since then for the past 10 years they've been best friends. Never gave themselves a chance at 'a real go' like they promised, because they worked, as friends they worked quite well. But not everyone believes they're 'just friends'.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have been reading a lot of fics lately about the boys being 'just friends' especially since the Christmas episode and I thought I would give it a go myself. This might just be a one shot or potentially more if people enjoy it.

It had been 10 years since Gordon was sent down for his crimes against Aaron, 10 years since Aaron was reunited with his little sister, and 10 years since Aaron formed a friendship that no one ever expected. A lot had changed since 2016. About 8 years ago Adam and Victoria decided to move to the city when she was offered a full-time position as a cook at a high-end restaurant, with that Robert and Aaron decided to sell the scrapyard and start their own business. A construction company, Robert ran the office and spoke with clients, while Aaron and more employees they added on as time went by did work on houses, pubs, schools, and apartments. The difference between Aaron and all other employees was that Aaron called nearly as many shots as Robert did, he owned a share of the company and was too stubborn for Robert to argue, well, on occasion anyway.  
The company was actually how Aaron met who some would call 'the love of his life', Alex Mason, he moved outside of the Dales when he was offered a job at the hospital close by, his apartment however wasn't in the best shape when he moved in and Aaron was called in to fix a few (minor) things which they still argue that Alex was just too lazy to fix them himself. He was good for Aaron, made him smile and laugh, took the heavy weight of a stressful life off of his shoulders, reminded him nearly daily how much he loved him. They were going on five years now, and things were good. Alex was good, Alex was nice.  
Robert had also found himself lucky in the love department, not long after opening the construction company he met a woman at a business conference. Her name was Sofia. Everyone of course assumed Robert was with her because of her status and wealth, just like with Chrissie. But this time was different, this time he really felt something that went beyond a material status. With Sofia there was no ulterior motive or master plan. She was inspiring, came from a bad home and background but made her fortune from hard work, and over the years she taught Robert many things. This time it was something. This time it was real. They have officially been together 7 years, married for 2, and things were still very good between them. Sofia was good, Sofia was nice.

   
"Dingle are you sure about this?" Robert asked, tossing him a beer he grabbed from the fridge. It was 2am and Aaron rang Robert to come over and watch reruns of some stupid action movie. Sofia was out of town which meant he didn’t need to argue about leaving the house, he just could. Robert knew Aaron well enough to know that when he rang him past 11 at night to watch tv and drink, something had happened. Something that wasn't good had happened. "You only ring me this late if something bad happened, and when drinks are combined I'm stuck putting your drunk arse in bed." Aaron and Alex didn't live together, they had drawers at each other's houses but are yet to make the official move. So, when Aaron got drunk during the late hours of the night, Robert was usually the one taking care of him. Sometimes it became more than just taking care of each other, more than being just friends, but they never spoke of those times. They couldn't. They couldn’t talk about the late nights when Sofia was out of town and Alex was at work and it would start off as just catching the football game and ordering in, but then something would happen, feelings from long ago would come back and suddenly they weren't just friends. Suddenly things they had spent so much time and energy trying to pretend weren't there, were there, and they couldn't fight it. But no, they don’t speak of those times a loud.  
   
"What's it like?" Aaron asked so simply, and Robert had no idea what he was talking about. "What's being married like?" The question hit Robert in all the wrong places, sure they were friends, but talking about their partners just never felt right.  
   
"It's like dating someone but costs more if you want to end it." Robert joked, hoping to brush off the subject but Aaron wouldn’t nudge. "Well it's like dating someone, but it feels more secure. Something about a ring and piece of paper makes you feel more secure. This way, you're with the person you love and the chance of losing them feels slimmer."  
   
"You're really selling marriage mate." Aaron chuckled at Robert's lack of description, lack of meaning.  
   
"What's brought this on?" Robert set his beer down and looked at Aaron, "Are you and Alex-"  
   
 "Oh god no." Aaron stopped him before he could even get the question out. "Well, actually he proposed at dinner tonight." Aaron admitted. He never wanted to get married, not to Jackson, not to Ed, not to Robert, and certainly not to Alex. He just never saw the point, if you love someone why go through the trouble of a wedding and a tux and a ring, why not just be with them and be happy?  
   
"Oh." Was all Robert could say. Had this been any other friend he would have been congratulating them without hesitation, but he knew how Aaron thought. Aaron hated marriage, always had. "Did you-"  
   
"I told him I needed time." Aaron admitted. It was a lie, no time was going to change his answer, it was undoubtedly a no. "Does it change? Does marriage change anything?" For Aaron's sake, he wanted to lie and say no, that when a ring and signed papers are involved nothing changed. Robert wanted to lie and tell Aaron that marriage wouldn't change his feelings towards Alex or their relationship, but that's just it, it would be lying. Robert has told white lies of course, little things that didn't matter, but this was a marriage and future, and he couldn't lie to Aaron about that.  
   
"Yeah, I mean...yeah. I don't know how to explain it Aaron, but things change. At least they did for me, I don't know about everyone else though. Maybe they won't for you." And he tried, he tried so hard not to be a deciding factor in Aaron's decision because lord knows the raft from the Dingles he would get then, but he just could not lie to Aaron. "Marriage, it's weird, really weird." Despite never being married before, Aaron still shook his head in agreement. He saw it all around him, failed marriages. Robert and Chrissie, Charity and more people than he could remember, Paddy and Rhona, Cain and Moira (although they eventually fixed things), all happy couples until a ring was in the picture, then suddenly things began to fail. He didn't want that for him and Alex. Alex was good. Alex was nice.  
   
"I just don't want to lose him y'know? I love him, but I don't want to marry him." Aaron sighed as he rested back into the couch. "That's so wrong though isn't it. Together 5 years and I don't want to marry him."  
   
"Sofia and I were together 5 years before getting married Aaron. Time doesn't mean anything."  
   
"But you wanted to marry her. It didn't mean anything because you wanted a future with her. I'm not sure I want a future with Alex." Robert's eyes widened in shock. This was probably the most honest Aaron had ever been about his relationship with Alex. Robert saw the signs, sure, Aaron loved him. But it never seemed like he was in love with him. Robert couldn't say anything though, because to everyone in the village it would have been out of pure jealousy and distaste for Alex. "I'm in my thirties and don't even want to marry the man I've invested 5 years of my life into. How pathetic is that." Aaron scoffed.  
   
"It's not pathetic, how you feel isn't pathetic." Robert turned to face Aaron, he found himself leaning in a little too close for comfort. Aaron was vulnerable, right now wasn't the right time for this, not that there was ever a right time for them. But if there was ever a very wrong time, it was right now. How could Robert stop himself when Aaron leaned in too? Suddenly they were so close they could feel the others breath against their skin, one head tilt and their lips would be touching. This was wrong, this was so wrong. Because they were just friends, weren't they? Always just friends. Robert took a movement back, he couldn't let himself get caught up in those feelings. They hadn't had a moment like that since the wedding, Robert had for the first time in his life been a completely faithful husband. "You need to be honest with Alex, you can't build a relationship on lies. I should know that more than anyone."  
   
Aaron pulled back, realizing what he intended on doing wasn't going to happen tonight and shook his head in agreement. "I know."  


	2. What I Never Said

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron ends things with Alex, and when his best friend is there to comfort him more problem arise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The feedback from the first chapter was incredibly overwhelming (but in the best way possible). To know that even after being gone so long and not being sure of my writing, I still have so many who enjoy reading makes me happier than any of you could imagine. Every comment and kudos means the world to me!  
> Thank you guys so much and I hope I don't let anyone down with this chapter.

Aaron didn't want to face anyone but Robert that day. After having his conversation with Robert, the night (or morning he would say) prior, Aaron did a lot of thinking and found it best to end things with Alex. Aaron wasn't going to lie, it had been a good five years. They had shared laughter, tears, pure joy and absolute anger but it just wasn't it for Aaron. He could feel it when they would lay in bed, or when they would go out for dinner, Aaron loved Alex, but he wasn't in love with Alex. No one knew yet, and he wanted to keep it that way, however he needed the helping hand of his best mate and that wasn't going to change.  

_"Hey." Alex had a slight smile but he had had a long day at the hospital and was beyond exhausted._  
_"Hey." Aaron stood from his comfortable spot on the couch and turned to Alex, "We need to talk." Alex shook his head yes and waited for Aaron to continue._

It had been a long hard day, but just like always when Robert sat beside him on the couch he seemed to settle easier. He felt like this weight was lifted off of his shoulders just by the presence of Robert. "Aaron, you will find someone for you, I promise."  
"What if I already did, but I lost them." Aaron hadn't thought about the words much before saying them, but he looked up at his best mate with his puppy dog eyes and bottom lip tucked under his teeth. He looked sad, but not the kind of sad where you lose the love of your life. Robert had seen Aaron at his very lowest points and this was certainly not it. He had also seen Aaron at his best points and they were not with Alex by his side. "I mean Jackson's dead, I dumped Ed and moved back here and nothing really good has come of it in over ten years."  
Robert flinched at Aaron's words, the mention of Jackson still taking effect on Aaron and just the thought of Ed made something turn in his stomach. "Maybe Jackson was your one, and you're never going to find you someone who gave you so much excitement. But that doesn't mean you won't meet someone else who loves you differently." Robert never believed in true love or meant to be, he didn't think that in life there was only one person you were supposed to be with. But he knew Aaron believed in something. He believed in finding that one person who can drive you absolutely mad but you still love because their crazy days do not out number their amazing days. He believed in finding someone who made you hate them so much you didn't know what to do with yourself but loving them enough to risk anything and everything for them. "Ed was mediocre Aaron. Don't dwell on that relationship."  
"I found someone Robert, someone I loved in a way that to me didn't seem possible beforehand. They gave me excitement and adventure, I mean most of it was bad, but we had our good times too." And Robert knew exactly who Aaron was talking about. There was no shame in Aaron's voice, no hiding it, but Robert knew if they were going to go down this path tonight when Aaron was as vulnerable as he appeared to be, it wouldn't end well for anyone. 

  
_"I can't marry you Alex. I would love for us to stay like this, together, but I know you want marriage and a family and I don't." He put his down, too afraid to see the look on the man's face opposite him. "I'm so sorry, Alex."_  
_"I knew this was coming." Alex took Aaron's hands. "We were on borrowed time from the start Aaron." Aaron looked up at his now ex-lover with confusion written upon his face._  
_"What do you mean borrowed time from the start?"_  
_"You're in love with someone else Aaron, I know it and I think you do too." Alex sighed, afraid to keep talking as he felt tears building up in his eyes. "I promised myself all those years ago I would never fall in love with you because it was clear your heart was taken from the start. But I couldn't help myself. I thought maybe if I proposed that would be it, we could finally get our happy ending. It appears your heart still is taken."_  
_"Well who has my heart then?" Aaron asked, still not understanding what Alex is talking about. Alex picked up his bag and headed towards the door,_  
_"Robert."_  

"Robert, I-" As he went to tell his best mate the one thing that could ruin their friendship, Robert's phone started buzzing.  
  "I am so sorry Aaron, it's Sofia." Robert answered the phone and walked into the kitchen for a bit more privacy. "She's out of town again. Wants me to restock groceries before she gets back." Robert tossed his phone on the table, annoyed by his wife calling him for something that really wasn't all that important when his best friend needed him more than anything.  
"Oh, well if you have to go-"  
"It's not important Aaron. Not right now." Robert reassured him.  
"Okay." Aaron released a heavy breath, "Do you want to go to the pub?" He asked, trying to avoid continuing on from what he was going to say before Sofia rang Robert.  
"I thought you would have wanted to stay inside today." Aaron could've sworn that Robert almost looked disappointed by his question, but that went away when he agreed. "Yeah, sounds fun."  

All in all, it had been a pretty shitty day for Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden. First, Aaron ended a five-year long relationship with a really nice man, then Robert was to comfort his best friend but had to hide the argument he had with his own spouse only hours before hand. In the end, they had each other there and that was what mattered. Of course, with the luck that Aaron and Robert both have it could be much worse.  
They had been sitting in the Woolpack enjoying burger and chips when it did become much worse. The door slammed shut and a gasp from Charity behind the bar caused Aaron and Robert to look up. Aaron's mood instantly changed when he saw the faces, memories crashing into him like he was being hit by a train. Thoughts of lying in bed wondering what would happen if that family didn't exist, could he and Robert really be happy? He saw the pure pain flash across her face when he revealed their affair that had been going on for months. Chrissie and Lawrence White were back in the village, and this was going to be an even shittier day than either man could have imagined. The White's left in March of 2016, when Chrissie got sick of seeing Aaron and Robert together every where she turned, she convinced her father it be best they leave the place that caused them and their family so much grief over the years. The day they drove their car out of Emmerdale was undoubtedly one of the best for Aaron and Robert.  
Aaron took the final bite of his burger and stood up, "Thanks for the distraction tonight mate. But I best be going." He avoided any and all eye contact with the White's as he exited the pub. 

   
"What the hell was that?" Robert asks storming into the Mill whether Aaron wants him there or not.  
"I was finished my food, wanted to come home." Aaron lied, and Robert knew he was being thrown bullshit.  
"Really, Aaron? The White's come back into the village and your first instinct is to get up and leave me there alone. Not really a best friend thing to do." He snapped back at him. Robert had been so focused on taking care of Aaron these past few days that Aaron had no idea what was going on with him and his marriage. Aaron really had no idea how Robert felt about anything lately.  
"I had to get out of there!" Aaron yelled back at him, becoming more defensive.  
"Why? Why couldn't we just sit and finish our food together, then leave." Aaron chuckled at Robert's words, not because they were funny, but because he couldn't express his feelings in another way. "What?"  
"Do you really think that we could just sit in the pub and eat a meal together when them back here?" Robert shrugged his shoulders. "Robert! They hated us back then, and I'm almost certain they probably still do. What if Sofia had come over? What if we were trying to eat our meals and one of them went off the rails about the past and your wife walked in!" It hit Robert that he never told Aaron what Sofia knew, he never saw the point in dwelling on their past activities when it was a problem in his marriage enough without Aaron being awkward around Sofia all the time.  
"Aaron-"  
"What Robert."  
"Sofia knows." With those words, Aaron slumped down on his couch and needed to take deep breathes. "She's known about you and I for almost three years." Three years, Aaron thought. Three years ago, Robert and Sofia got engaged, it had to be a coincidence, it just had to be. "Aaron when she found out about our past, she proposed. Made me come up with this big story about how I proposed to her."  
"You've got to be kidding me." Aaron rested his head in his hands. "Three years and I'm just finding out about this now? Not really a best friend thing to do." Aaron threw Robert's words back at him and they felt like a blow to the chest.  
"Aaron, I couldn't tell you. I finally found the person I was supposed to share my life with, and I didn't want anything to come between you and I. You were with Alex and I had Sofia."  
"Girl." Aaron spoke one word that held more meaning than Robert initially realized. "You finally found the girl you were supposed to share your life with."  
"Oh, come on Aaron not this shit again." If there was one fight the two men had constantly in the beginning of their friendship it was about Robert's sexuality and he was far from in the mood for it tonight. "Yes, Sofia is a female but that doesn't change how I felt." Robert sighed and sat beside Aaron, "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to watch you with Alex? I mean sure I had already been with Sofia but it still hurt. Watching someone love you the way I knew I never could ripped me apart. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to ruin our friendship."  
"That's complete bullshit Robert and you know it."  
"What would we have done Aaron? I would have left Sofia and you leave Alex, then we just magically get our happy ever after with all our family's approval? That was never going to be us Aaron. This friendship we have, it's all that could ever work for us and I refused to lose the only part of you I had. Even if it meant marrying a woman I wasn't sure I wanted to be with forever and watching you love a man I never thought was right for you."  
"You aren't listening to me!" Aaron stood up with his face red and he looked at Robert, "We have never been just friends. I know that, and you do too." He shook his head and walked towards the door, "Go home Robert."  
"What?" Robert asked in disbelief that after what just happened Aaron was telling him to go.  
"I want you to go home."  


	3. What We Didn't Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their fight, Aaron and Robert are put in a situation neither one of them could have prepared for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to take a moment and let each and every one of you know how much every kudo and comments means to me, and to every writer. They keep me motivated and give me the encouragement I need to write when I'm feeling down. Thank you guys so much for everything!!

In the last ten years this was the longest Aaron and Robert had gone without talking. To anyone, five days wasn't long, it wasn't even a full week. But to people who knew Aaron and Robert, this wasn't normal. Not only were they best friends, but business colleagues as well. Everyone had their suspicions, Aaron and Alex break up then all of a sudden, he's not talking to Robert? Yeah, everyone had their own theories on how the two situations tied together. The two men hated not speaking, it was cruel and painful after so long of always having some kind of conversation, but that night they crossed a line. They overstepped boundaries that were never supposed to ever be touched. Years of hidden feelings and desires finally being revealed. It wasn't supposed to happen. They messed this up before, but being friends, they were so good at being friends. The two men needed each other, whether they'd say it or not, they did and that was the cold hard truth. They'd done that for many years and now, all that work was just tarnished. Finding out that Sofia had forced Robert to make a story about their engagement and that they got married solely on the fact that Aaron and Robert had a romantic past, he still couldn't believe it. That night far too many truths were revealed and now there was no going back. Not being able to go back only meant one thing, avoid until absolutely impossible. Today, it was impossible. After constant questioning from his mum he was now seated in the pub face to face with Sofia. She wore a cocky smile, too cocky for Aaron to feel comfortable and you'd think after dealing with Robert for so long he'd be able to handle cocky well. He didn't know what it was Sofia wanted, but quite frankly he just didn't care. That's what he would tell himself anyway. So, when Sofia continued to stare at Aaron without saying anything, he put his head down and scrolled through Facebook on his phone. "Aaron." She finally spoke.  
   
"Sofia." He responded irritated.  
   
"My husband's been in a grump the last few days. He's been doing all the paperwork at home instead of the office and he barely talks to me. What happened between the two of you?" Sofia was happy her husband and Aaron had finally stopped talking. She finally felt like there was no one to compete with and that for the first time, Robert was completely hers. That all changed when she really started to notice the things that changed in only a few short days. He wasn't Robert without Aaron and as much as Sofia hated that, it was the truth. Aaron scoffed at her question, knowing the truth about why they got engaged-why he felt like he officially lost his chance with Robert for good-the last person he wanted to speak to was the woman sat opposite him right now.  
   
"What makes you think it has anything to do with me?" He responds with a question. He knew the answer, everyone at work was giving him looks when Robert hadn't come in, his mum was up his ass about it, and the whispers from villagers didn't go unnoticed by Aaron either. The answer was clear, he knew that.  
   
"Really, Aaron? You and my husband are best friends, as well as business partners and haven't spoken in nearly a week." Again, Aaron scoffed.  
   
He leant over the table and looked her in eyes, "But we're not just best friends, right?" Her eyes widened in shock, "I mean, you knew that already. It's why you proposed to him in the first place." A cocky grin then fell upon Aaron's face and it almost made him sick how his feelings for Robert, even after all these years, brought out the worst in him. "It's why you've never called him Robert to me, you only refer to him as 'my husband' almost like you're trying to remind me who he belongs to. Or maybe you're reminding yourself because he doesn't love you the way you wish he did. You know, the way he loves me." Aaron growled before sitting back in his seat and watching the anger fuel in her eyes. Sofia had never seen this side of Aaron, he was always the good guy, but that didn't mean he wasn't capable of playing dirty when he wanted to. However, Sofia was a business woman and she made a living off of playing dirty so she was not about to give up.  
   
"Really? And that's why I'm the one he married is it?" The words would have hit Aaron if they had a different history, because before something like that was all he could think about. Robert may have loved Aaron, but he married Chrissie and this was the same case. Except now, after everything he's learned in the past week, it doesn't bother him.  
   
"Well, he married Chrissie too and look what happened there." The words almost made him sick, but he was having too much fun playing this game especially when another look of anger and shock spread across Sofia's face.  
   
"You're not a cheater." Was all she could manage to say, and Aaron wasn't going to argue that. The very moment Robert shut down any possibility of him and Aaron was when Alex came along, because Aaron was too good of a person to be a cheater.  
   
"No, I'm not. But Alex isn’t in the picture anymore." A sick grin appeared on his face and he almost couldn't believe what he was saying. "Anyway, we got into a fight because him and I could never be a real couple and it all started when his ex-wife and her family showed back up in town." Aaron shrugged before turning back to his phone like half of that conversation had never happened.  
   
"I guess I was right." She mumbled under her breath but not quiet enough, because Aaron heard her.  
   
"What did you say?" Aaron put his phone down and brought his attention back to her.  
   
"Nothing." Sofia lied, and she almost stood up before Aaron got ahold of her wrist. She sat back down and looked at him, "I know the White's from business and in passing asked what they thought about coming back to the village." Aaron's eyes widened in surprise, "You and Robert had been getting closer lately and I thought I was losing him. I wanted to know what would happen if the White's came back, if it would bring back old feelings from your...past." She almost gagged saying the word. "I guess I was right." Aaron was beyond angry at this point and despite his previous actions to stop Sofia from leaving, now he was getting up and storming out of the pub.

    
Aaron didn't exactly want to see Robert, in all honesty he was still infuriated with the news that was sprung upon him five days prior, but there was no way he wasn't telling Robert about what just happened. He stormed into the house and saw Robert sitting on the couch with his head rested in his hands, when Aaron looked over he saw a mix of blankets and pillows and couldn't believe that Robert had possibly been sleeping on the couch. It was clear on Robert's face when he turned around, the older man was exhausted, he looked like he hadn't slept in days but the shocked expression didn't go unnoticed either. "Aaron?" Robert asked as he stood from the couch and walked over to Aaron who was stuck, not able to bring himself to move from the spot he had in front of the door. Was he really about to possibly ruin another one of Robert's marriages? Of course, Sofia did this to herself but if he told the truth then he was partially responsible as well.  
   
"Robert I-"  
   
"Aaron, I am so sorry about the other night." Robert cut him off, but Aaron shook his head and finally took a step forward.  
   
"No Robert. I need you to listen to me." Aaron demanded, Robert shook his head in agreement and allowed Aaron to continue, "Last week when they came into the pub it brought back all these memories that I've spent ten years trying to forget about. I've failed miserably Robert, everything I've tried to forget always finds its way back in and I'm stuck remembering all I've lost. When Alex proposed do you know what I saw?" Aaron asked and Robert just raised an eyebrow, "I saw you Robert! My boyfriend proposed and I saw you. And then when you came over to comfort me and said I was going to meet someone for me, all I saw was us. In the barn, in the hotels, our week alone at Home Farm, but more than that I saw every moment we've shared for the past ten years and I couldn't imagine sharing them with anyone else." Aaron sighed, pushing away the tears that strayed from his eyes. "Now, I need you to think really carefully about those words when I say what I'm going to next." Robert looked at him confused.  
   
"What? Aaron what's going on?"  
   
"Robert, Sofia came to the Woolpack today." Robert's eyes widened, of course she went to the Woolpack. If there was one thing Sofia couldn't do it was leave shit alone. "She told me she called the Whites." And with those words Robert stepped back in complete and utter shock, unable to find any words at all. He stood there and just kept his gaze on Aaron, waiting for him to say something else.  
   
"Why did you tell me of that?" Robert asked. "Five days ago, you wanted nothing to do with me." He sighed heavily and rubbed his head, "Now you're over here telling me you think about me-or us. That my wife called up my ex-wife's family. Why would she do that?"  
   
"I told you because I'm tired of fighting everything I've felt and thought for over ten years. But also, because I needed you to believe me." Aaron said honestly before resting to sit on the arm of the couch.  
   
Robert walked towards Aaron and grabbed his hands, "You thought I wouldn't believe you? Aaron, no matter what I'll always believe you. Did you really think after everything we've been through that I wouldn't you?" A part of Robert felt offended, but he understood where Aaron was coming from. So, he tried not to dwell too much on that. "I told her." Robert said.  
   
"What?" Aaron asked.  
   
"Three years ago, do you remember that big dinner at the pub? Where your mom was joking about Alex becoming a Dingle?" Aaron nodded, almost cringing at the memory. "That night Sofia and I went home, and she kept trying to...well you know. But I didn't want to. My mind was filled with your mom's words and your smile around Alex, the way he made you happy. She asked what was wrong with me and when I refused to answer she got mad. I stormed downstairs and crashed on the couch. I stared at pictures of us I had on my phone, from the affair, they were in a private file." Aaron was surprised at the revelation, he had no idea Robert still had those photos. He would've had to move them from each phone he got. "She came downstairs and saw the photos I was looking at. So, she asked me when they had been taken and I told her. She was my girlfriend but as soon as our past was brought up I got caught in those memories and couldn't stop myself." Robert tilted his head down to look at the floor beneath him, unsure of how Aaron would react and afraid of what he may see behind the other man's eyes. "Do you remember the night you told me about Gordon? How I told you I still loved ya? I know this is completely wrong in every way it could possibly be wrong, but I meant it then and I still do now because I don't think I could ever stop."  
   
Within seconds, Sofia was standing beside Chrissie with confusion and anger all over her face. Her eyes met with Robert's and he said, "I want a divorce."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was always meant to be a small lived story and I'm only doing one more chapter which will be more of a prologue and really fluffy to lighten up all the angst I've had in only three short chapters!


	4. Always Takes Me Back To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Robert are officially together, this is how their life turns out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, once again, feel like an ass for taking so long to update. I try to always get some writing done and have chapters up regularly but time is not in my favour, and lately neither is life. I have no idea how or if anyone is still interested in this fic, but if you are, here is the last chapter and you can officially be done with me disappointing myself and my readers (well until my next ED fic anyway lol)

"I want a divorce." Sometimes, those words still rang in his ears like they'd just been spoken.  
  
But in reality, it had been an entire year. Robert loved Sofia, there was no way anyone could spin that truth into something else, but what she did and the way he loved Aaron overpowered it all. Throughout the divorce, he and Aaron remained friends, Aaron stood by him the way they had for each other in the past ten years. Looking in on the situation anyone could say that it was planned, Aaron and Alex breaking up, Robert and Sofia getting a divorce, and unfortunately the only two people who understood what it felt like to be going through all of it were Aaron and Robert themselves. No one else knows about the countless nights that Robert crashed on Aaron's couch after being kicked out of a bar for being too drunk, or the way that the business suffered because his mind was too preoccupied to fill out the paperwork and Aaron was staying up all hours of the night forging signatures and doing his best to help his best friend. No one knows the amount of times Aaron gave up his own bed and stayed on the chair in the corner of the room because he was too afraid to leave Robert on his own. Nothing about how everyone thinks happened was planned, and the men spent a very long time coming to terms with what was.  
  
It had been a year, almost to the day, since Robert was faced with the biggest decision of his life and asked his second wife for a divorce. He had spent the good part of the first nine months drowned in self-hatred, but one day he was able to open his eyes to new possibilities and he saw that the one person he had always loved, the one person he'd never stopped loving, was still here and still loving him right back. Robert was the one who had always been the strong one, the one that Aaron had to lean on in tough times, and although Aaron was there as support for Robert through the better part of ten years, this last year it had been showcased more than ever before. So, as they stood in front of the pub, hand in hand, Aaron looked at Robert questioningly,  
  
"Are you sure you're ready to do this." He asked, and although Robert didn't look up at him or speak any words, the slight grip of their connected hands told him all he needed to know, and before he knew it, they were walking in the front door. Chas had adored Alex and always thought he was a much better man for her son than Robert could be, but she saw how much her son loved him and eventually stopped fighting it. She saw the way Aaron's eyes lit up when Robert walked into a room, or the slight smile that form on his lips when his name was mentioned, she knew her son loved that man beyond belief and that there was no point in trying to stop them from being together. Ten years, a marriage, and a relationship later, they were still here-together, again. Chas stood behind the bar with a glass in her hand, already pouring the pint that her son and his partner would be asking for. They had done this a million times in ten years, walked into the pub, sat at the bar and waited for their drinks to be served, but this time was different. This time was different because their hands were being held together and their hearts were no longer lying.  
  
"Hey, love." Chas said to her son, she placed the pints on the bar counter and turned to Robert, "This is your first public outing, it's really happening then?" She knew the answer, but asked anyway.  
  
"Yes Chas, it's really happening. Maybe one day you'll be my mother in-law." Robert laughed, it was meant to be a joke but the expression that fell on Aaron's face told him maybe he shouldn't have said anything. "What?"  
  
"You don't exactly have the best of luck when it comes to marriage." Aaron stated, trying to hold back the shakiness in his voice. This was no more than a fact, a very unfortunate, but truthful none the less, fact.  
  
"Are you telling me you don't want to get married?" Robert asked, taken aback by Aaron's comment. "What happened to, 'when my boyfriend proposed I saw you'?" Aaron chuckled lightly,  
  
"I can't believe you remember me telling you that a year ago." Aaron sighed as Robert's expression didn't change, "Look, we just officially got together, can we not talk about marriage right now." Robert knew this was going to bother him and it was something he and Aaron would discuss again later on. But Aaron was right, they had just gotten together offically, even if it was over ten years in the making, so he was determined to enjoy this as much as he could. Robert smiled and kissed Aaron on the lips, getting a nice "gross, get out of my pub." from Chas.

Aaron and Robert had officialy been dating for six months, and although that was a big thing, nothing really changed. It became evident to them early on that tge way they acted as best friends was the same way they acted as a couple, minus the hand holding and private office meetings that turned into sex, everything was the same as it always had been. Adam and Vic came to Emmerdale a week ago to visit their best friends and offer a congrats in person, Vicotira, of course, gave Aaron her warning speech, while Adam did the same to Robert. But something great came out of it, Robert showed Adam the small black box he had sitting in his work desk drawer for over a month, and he watched as Adam's face lit up with so much joy. There was just one problem, Aaron didn't want to get married. As he knew they would, Aaron and Robert talked about it many more times after that day in the pub, and Aaron's answer remained the same. 'I don't see the point in getting married when it's never worked out for you. It doesn't change anything, things are good the way they are.' And yes, things were amazing, but that didn't stop Robert from wanting to put a ring on Aaron's finger and wear a matching one in return. Robert loved both of his wives, that was the truth, but the one person who was the reason behind both of those marriages ending, was the man he wanted to be his forever. They'd lost ten years, and he'd be damned to let another second go by without Aaron. Adam was quick to give his approval of this proposal and helped plan the night out. Now, it's the night. Robert is waiting in his car at the lay by where they shared their first kiss 13 years prior. He can feel his hands begin to shake as the clock ticks to the time they agreed on meeting, 5:50 pm, and just as he thinks that Aaron is going to be late, he sees his boyfriends car pull up. Suddenly, his heart is racing and palms become sweaty, for a split second he thinks about turning the engine on and driving away, but he knows he can't. So, ignoring all of his doubts and worry, Robert grabs the small black box, places it in the pocket of his suit jacket and exits the car. Aaron is already standing against his own vehicle with his arm crossed, clearly waiting on Robert to say or do something.  
  
"What'd you wanna meet here for? It's freezing." Aaron complained, but Robert saw a small smile on Aaron's lips and chose to ignore his complaint about the weather and their current location. As he walked closer to Aaron, Robert felt himself get nervous again and it became clear on his face. "What's going on?" Aaron asked, taking a step forward and grabbing his boyfriend's hand.  
  
Robert wanted nothing more than to melt into Aaron's touch, but he had a job to do, and he's be damned if it didn't get done. Robert pulled his hands away from Aaron and took a step back, he then proceeded to get down on one knee and as he saw the nervousness in Aaron's eyes, said, "Aaron Dingle, I know that these past thirteen years with us, since that first kiss on this very road in the beginning of December, have been incredibly crazy. I know that the smart and logical decision would have been for you to never let me back into your life after the cabin trip all those years ago, but you did, and we were given an amazing ten years to grow as people but most importantly, as friends." Robert stopped, feeling tears build up in eyes, he grabbed the ring box from his pocket and opened it, "Being your friend gave met he chance to love you in a different way, but at the end of it all, I stilled lvoed you like you were the only person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I know that marriage hasn't exactly been in my favour over time, and that the way things are now are amazing, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Through every fight, death, helicopter crash, hospital visit, courtroom appearance, robbery, I want to be with you. No matter what it is, I know I'll be okay if you're by my side. So, would you do me the honour of being my husband?" Robert didn't have time to think because before he could even register, Aaron was pulling him up in a sloppy kiss that mirrored their first one almost exactly, except this time, it wasn't done as an action, it was done as an answer filled with love and neither one of them could be happier. 

If someone had come up to Aaron Dingle 14 years ago and told him he would be marrying Robert Sugden, he'd laugh and then probably punch them in the face. Actually, his mom would punch them in the face. But as he stands here today, in front of the mirror looking at his navy blue taloured suit with his uncle Cain, his mum, Paddy, and Adam beside him, his heart flutters nervously in his chest. Today is it, today is the day he'd subconsciously been waiting for, for years. Today was the day his dreams were coming true. He'd watch Robert get married twice before, each time breaking another piece of his heart, of course, both times for very different reasons. He never would have thought that day back in 2015 as he watched Robert say 'I do' to Chrissie that he would be given the chance to be loved by him, and in 2023 as Robert spoke his vows to Sofia, the thought of being with him for real was almost a joke. But today, today as he entered the small church and saw the man he loved already standing up in front of Ashely, there wasn't any doubts, and it wasn't a joke. This was Robert, the man he'd fallen so hopelessly in love with that he did things he never knew he was capable of, he felt things he previously never thought could be real, and this was Robert, the man who at the end of tonight, would be his husband.  
  
Aaron stood opposite Robert as their hands were once again entangled in the other's, as Ashley got to the part about the vows, Aaron whispered, "I've actually written my own." Robert smiled widely, Aaron was never one for words, but now he was willing to use a lot of them in front of a bunch of people, and it was all for him. "Robert, it's been a crazy ride as you've said before." He smiled and it only grew wider as Robert chuckled. "There has been countless heart break since the day we met, but if all of it was supposed to happen to lead us here, to this day, then it was all worth it. I know I'm not very good with words but I need to tell you this, I love you Robert Sugden. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, I love you because you taught me how to love again time and time again and because despite everyone's efforts to keep us apart, we always found our way back to each other. I know it's not going to be easy, but I intend of loving you until I breathe my last breath." By the end of his vows, everyone in that room had tears built up in their eyes.  
  
"I do." Aaron answered as he gripped tightly onto Robert's hands with a smile painted across his lips.  
  
"I do." Robert replied before grabbing Aaron and pulling him for their first kiss as husbands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted a fluff filled ending after all the angst in just a few short chapters. I hope you enjoyed!  
> Please, leave me a comment to tell me what you thought about this fic and if you have any prompts, I'd be happy to read some of them!!


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